Background Crime
Farmers target criminals when dumping drug waste
Nearly a quarter more drug labs were shut down last year. However, no more drug waste is found. Where does that drug waste go? Part of the answer may lie in the barnyard. The police regularly receive signals that farmers are being approached by drug criminals to dump drug waste.
In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of drug labs that the police are dismantling, a police spokesperson reported when asked. Last year, 108 drug labs were broken up, almost a quarter more than in 2019. "It is plausible that the amount of drug waste has also increased, but we do not have an exact idea of where it all goes. The amount of drug waste that we find has remained the same in recent years. namely more or less equal."
Victim or financial interest
The police regularly receive signals that farmers have been approached by drug criminals. Opposite Boerenbusiness let the spokesperson know: "We cannot exclude the possibility that there are people who have to do this under duress and who feel pressure from the criminal organization to make their space available. It cannot be ruled out that there are a few who are financially interest to cooperate."
What are the police doing to prevent farmers from becoming victims of or involved in such practices? "We are investigating criminal activities and persons involved in it. We are trying to provide the Public Prosecution Service with sufficient evidence to successfully prosecute criminals and take criminal assets," said the spokesperson. "In addition, we are working on raising the awareness of citizens, entrepreneurs and government partners on the subject of subversion. In this way we make them aware of and resilient to subversion. We also show what role they themselves can play in recognizing, preventing and combating organized crime. In this way we can collectively take a stand against this form of crime."
Drug waste in slurry tanks
The police indicate that they do not keep records of how often drug waste was found in a manure pit or elsewhere on a farm. On the NOS website, expert Dangerous Substances Leon van Zoggel of Strukton states that the company cleared 3 locations at the beginning of this year where drug waste had been dumped in the manure pit. The police are also talking about slurry tanks. "We sometimes find drug waste in large slurry tanks, tanks that farmers use to spread manure over the land. Farmers may have lent these trucks or criminals steal or buy them themselves. There is no one set method. everyone."
The moment drug waste is found at an agricultural company, the police will start an investigation to find out where the drug waste comes from, where the lab is located and who played what role in dumping the waste.
Significant environmental damage
As an agricultural entrepreneur, why should you keep far away from this? "It causes considerable environmental damage if the waste is dumped in forests, if it soaks into the soil or ends up in water. In addition, farmers who cooperate with criminals can easily be drawn into crime."
Linda van Eekeres
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